U.S. patent number 10,255,782 [Application Number 16/012,447] was granted by the patent office on 2019-04-09 for vehicle flood detection.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Ford Global Technologies, LLC. The grantee listed for this patent is Ford Global Technologies, LLC. Invention is credited to Aed M. Dudar, Mahmoud Yousef Ghannam, Darren Lee, David James Tippy.
United States Patent |
10,255,782 |
Ghannam , et al. |
April 9, 2019 |
Vehicle flood detection
Abstract
Method and apparatus are disclosed for vehicle flood detection.
An example vehicle includes an engine, a humidity sensor, a GPS
receiver to determine a vehicle location, a communication module,
and a control module. The control module is to collect, via the
humidity sensor, a humidity measurement within the engine and
collect a humidity level of the vehicle location. The control
module also is to identify a flooding event when the humidity
measurement exceeds the humidity level by a predetermined threshold
and record the flooding event with a remote server via the
communication module.
Inventors: |
Ghannam; Mahmoud Yousef
(Canton, MI), Dudar; Aed M. (Canton, MI), Tippy; David
James (Ann Arbor, MI), Lee; Darren (Ann Arbor, MI) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Ford Global Technologies, LLC |
Dearborn |
MI |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Ford Global Technologies, LLC
(Dearborn, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
65998170 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/012,447 |
Filed: |
June 19, 2018 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G08G
1/0112 (20130101); G08B 21/20 (20130101); G08B
21/10 (20130101); G08G 1/0133 (20130101); G08G
1/0141 (20130101); G08G 1/00 (20130101); G01S
15/931 (20130101); Y02A 50/00 (20180101); B60R
2021/0016 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G01F
23/14 (20060101); G08B 21/10 (20060101); G08G
1/00 (20060101); G01S 15/93 (20060101); B60R
21/00 (20060101) |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2341368 |
|
Jul 2011 |
|
EP |
|
20170055178 |
|
May 2017 |
|
KR |
|
Primary Examiner: Nguyen; An T
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Lollo; Frank Muraff; James P. Neal,
Gerber & Eisenberg LLP
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A vehicle comprising: an engine; a humidity sensor; a GPS
receiver to determine a vehicle location; a communication module;
and a control module to: collect, via the humidity sensor, a
humidity measurement within the engine in response to detecting a
flood characteristic; collect a humidity level of the vehicle
location; identify a flooding event when the humidity measurement
exceeds the humidity level by a predetermined threshold; and record
the flooding event with a remote server via the communication
module.
2. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control module is located
above a predefined vehicle flood level to deter the control module
from being submerged by the flooding event.
3. The vehicle of claim 1, further including a camera, wherein the
control module detects the flood characteristic via the camera.
4. The vehicle of claim 1, further including a proximity sensor,
wherein the control module detects the flood characteristic via the
proximity sensor.
5. The vehicle of claim 1, further including a rain sensor, wherein
the control module detects the flood characteristic via the rain
sensor.
6. The vehicle of claim 1, further including a water level sensor
positioned adjacent a vehicle undercarriage, wherein the control
module detects the flood characteristic via the water level
sensor.
7. The vehicle of claim 1, further including a dedicated
short-range communication (DSRC) module for vehicle-to-everything
(V2X) communication, wherein the control module detects the flood
characteristic based upon the V2X communication.
8. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control module detects the
flood characteristic based upon the vehicle location and localized
weather data.
9. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control module collects the
humidity level from a remote weather server via the communication
module.
10. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control module includes
memory, wherein the control module stores the flooding event in the
memory and subsequently disconnects from a battery.
11. The vehicle of claim 10, further including a battery management
system that is configured to disconnect the control module from the
battery.
12. The vehicle of claim 1, further including an alternative power
source that is located above a predefined vehicle flood level and
is configured to power the control module in response to the
control module identifying the flooding event.
13. The vehicle of claim 12, wherein the alternative power source
includes a solar panel.
14. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the control module presents a
flood alert to a user upon identifying the flooding event.
15. The vehicle of claim 1, further including an autonomy unit that
is configured to autonomously perform motive functions when the
flooding event is identified.
16. The vehicle of claim 1, further including an engine control
module that is configured to prevent the engine from being started
when the flooding event is identified and the engine is
inactive.
17. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein, when the flooding event is
recorded with the remote server, data of the flooding event is
retrievable only by a certified operator and is erasable only by an
authorized operator.
18. A method comprising: determining a vehicle location via a GPS
receiver; collecting, via a humidity sensor, an engine humidity
measurement responsive to detecting a flood characteristic;
collecting a humidity level of the vehicle location via a vehicle
communication module; identifying, via a processor, a flooding
event responsive to determining the engine humidity measurement
exceeds the humidity level by a predetermined threshold; and
recording, via the vehicle communication module, the flooding event
with a remote server.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present disclosure generally relates to vehicles and, more
specifically, to vehicle flood detection.
BACKGROUND
Occasionally, an area may be flooded due to inclement weather
conditions (e.g., heavy rainfall, overflowing rivers, hurricanes,
etc.). In such instances, vehicles located within the flooded area
may be damaged by the flood water. For instance, carpets or seats
may be water-stained, metal components (e.g., body panels, a frame,
screws, etc.) may rust, and/or other easily observable damage may
occur. In other instances, damage to a vehicle resulting from
flooding may be less observable. Oftentimes, vehicles that are
damaged by flooding are subsequently sold to purchasers who are
unaware of the flood-damage as a result of the damage being covered
up and/or unobservable.
SUMMARY
The appended claims define this application. The present disclosure
summarizes aspects of the embodiments and should not be used to
limit the claims. Other implementations are contemplated in
accordance with the techniques described herein, as will be
apparent to one having ordinary skill in the art upon examination
of the following drawings and detailed description, and these
implementations are intended to be within the scope of this
application.
Example embodiments are shown for vehicle flood detection. An
example disclosed vehicle includes an engine, a humidity sensor, a
GPS receiver to determine a vehicle location, a communication
module, and a control module. The control module is to collect, via
the humidity sensor, a humidity measurement within the engine and
collect a humidity level of the vehicle location. The control
module also is to identify a flooding event when the humidity
measurement exceeds the humidity level by a predetermined threshold
and record the flooding event with a remote server via the
communication module.
In some examples, the control module is located above a predefined
vehicle flood level to deter the control module from being
submerged by the flooding event.
In some examples, the control module collects the humidity
measurement in response to detecting a flood characteristic. Some
such examples further include a camera. In such examples, the
control module detects the flood characteristic via the camera.
Some such examples further include a proximity sensor. In such
examples, the control module detects the flood characteristic via
the proximity sensor. Some such examples further include a rain
sensor. In such examples, the control module detects the flood
characteristic via the rain sensor. Some such examples further
include a water level sensor positioned adjacent a vehicle
undercarriage. In such examples, the control module detects the
flood characteristic via the water level sensor. Some such examples
further include a dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) module
for vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. In such examples,
the control module detects the flood characteristic based upon the
V2X communication. In some examples, the control module detects the
flood characteristic based upon the vehicle location and localized
weather data.
In some examples, the control module collects the humidity level
from a remote weather server via the communication module.
In some examples, the control module includes memory. In such
examples, the control module stores the flooding event in the
memory and subsequently disconnects from a battery. Some such
examples further include a battery management system that is
configured to disconnect the control module from the battery. Some
examples further include an alternative power source that is
located above a predefined vehicle flood level and is configured to
power the control module in response to the control module
identifying the flooding event. In some such examples, the
alternative power source includes a solar panel.
In some examples, the control module presents a flood alert to a
user upon identifying the flooding event. Some examples further
include an autonomy unit that is configured to autonomously
performs motive functions when the flooding event is identified.
Some examples further include an engine control module that is
configured to prevent the engine from being started when the
flooding event is identified and the engine is inactive. In some
examples, when the flooding event is recorded with the remote
server, data of the flooding event is retrievable only by a
certified operator and is erasable only by an authorized
operator.
An example disclosed method includes determining a current location
of a vehicle via a GPS receiver. The example disclosed vehicle also
includes collecting, via a humidity sensor, a humidity measurement
within an engine and collecting a humidity level of the current
location via a communication module of the vehicle. The example
disclosed vehicle also includes identifying, via a processor, a
flooding event responsive to determining that the humidity
measurement exceeds the humidity level by a predetermined threshold
and recording, via the communication module, the flooding event
with a remote server.
In some examples, the humidity measurement is collected in response
to detecting a flood characteristic.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be made
to embodiments shown in the following drawings. The components in
the drawings are not necessarily to scale and related elements may
be omitted, or in some instances proportions may have been
exaggerated, so as to emphasize and clearly illustrate the novel
features described herein. In addition, system components can be
variously arranged, as known in the art. Further, in the drawings,
like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout
the several views.
FIG. 1 illustrates an example vehicle in accordance with the
teachings herein.
FIG. 2 depicts an example map that includes a representation of the
vehicle of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of electronic components of the vehicle
of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for detecting flooding of a vehicle in
accordance with the teachings herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
While the invention may be embodied in various forms, there are
shown in the drawings, and will hereinafter be described, some
exemplary and non-limiting embodiments, with the understanding that
the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of
the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the
specific embodiments illustrated.
Occasionally, an area may be flooded due to inclement weather
conditions (e.g., heavy rainfall, overflowing rivers, hurricanes,
etc.). In such instances, vehicles located within the flooded area
may be damaged by the flood water. For instance, carpets or seats
may be water-stained, metal components (e.g., body panels, a frame,
screws, etc.) may rust, and/or other easily observable damage may
occur. In other instances, damage to a vehicle resulting from
flooding may be less observable. Oftentimes, vehicles that are
damaged by flooding are subsequently sold to purchasers who are
unaware of the flood-damage as a result of the damage being covered
up and/or unobservable.
Example methods and apparatus disclosed herein record when a
vehicle has been involved in a flooding event to enable people
(e.g., consumers, lessees, original equipment manufacturers, etc.)
to subsequently identify that the vehicle has potentially been
damaged by a flooding event. Examples disclosed herein include
various sensor(s), communication devices, and/or other electronic
device(s) or system(s) (e.g., a proximity sensor, a rain sensor, a
water level sensor, a wet sensor, a camera, a dedicated short-range
communication module, a GPS receiver, a wiper system, a traction
control system, etc.) that are configured to detect a flood
characteristic (e.g., standing water, an elevated water level,
heavy rain, etc.). Further, the vehicle includes (1) a humidity
sensor that is configured to collect a humidity measurement within
an engine of the vehicle and (2) a communication module that is
configured to collect a known humidity level from a weather service
for a current location of the vehicle. A controller of the vehicle
compares the humidity measurement of the engine to the humidity
level of the vehicle location. The controller detects that water is
within the engine and, in turn, detects the vehicle is involved in
a flooding event if the humidity measurement of the engine exceeds
the known humidity level of the vehicle location by a predetermined
threshold. Upon detecting that the vehicle is involved in a
flooding event, the controller records the flooding event with a
remote server that is accessible by others and/or performs other
vehicle functions to protect the vehicle against water damage.
Turning to the figures, FIG. 1 illustrates an example vehicle 100
in accordance with the teachings herein. The vehicle 100 may be a
standard gasoline powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, an electric
vehicle, a fuel cell vehicle, and/or any other mobility implement
type of vehicle. The vehicle 100 includes parts related to
mobility, such as a powertrain with an engine, a transmission, a
suspension, a driveshaft, and/or wheels, etc. The vehicle 100 may
be non-autonomous, semi-autonomous (e.g., some routine motive
functions controlled by the vehicle 100), or autonomous (e.g.,
motive functions are controlled by the vehicle 100 without direct
driver input).
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 is partially submerged by
water 102 at a flood level 103 (e.g., a predefined flood level) of
the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 of the illustrated example
includes an engine 104, a battery 106, and a solar panel 108. The
engine 104 of the illustrated example includes an internal
combustion engine, an electric motor, and/or any other power source
that propels movement of the vehicle 100. In some examples, the
battery 106 is a starter battery that provides energy to activate
an internal combustion engine of the engine 104. Once activated,
power is supplied to the internal combustion engine via an
alternator. Further, in some examples, the battery 106 provides
electricity to an electric motor of the engine 104 to propel the
vehicle 100. In such examples, the battery 106 may include a single
battery cell and/or a battery pack that includes a plurality of
battery cells connected together. Additionally or alternatively,
the battery 106 is configured to provide energy to other electrical
components of the vehicle 100. Further, the solar panel 108 and/or
another alternative power source is configured to recharge the
battery 106 and/or to provide energy to other electrical components
of the vehicle 100. In the illustrated example, the solar panel 108
captures solar energy (e.g., via sunlight), transforms the solar
energy into electricity, and provides the electricity to the
battery 106 and/or other electrical component(s) of the vehicle
100.
In the illustrated example, the vehicle 100 also includes a global
positioning system (GPS) receiver 110, one or more proximity
sensors 112, one or more cameras 114, a rain sensor 116, and a
water level sensor 118. The GPS receiver 110 receives a signal from
a global positioning system to determine a location of the vehicle
100. The proximity sensors 112 are configured to monitor a
surrounding area of the vehicle to detect a presence and/or
location of nearby object(s). For example, the proximity sensors
112 include radar sensor(s), lidar sensor(s), ultrasonic sensor(s),
and/or any other sensor(s) configured to detect a presence and/or
location of nearby object(s). For example, a radar sensor detects
and locates an object via radio waves, a lidar sensor detects and
locates an object via lasers, and an ultrasonic sensor detects and
locates an object via ultrasound waves. The cameras 114 capture
image(s) and/or video to facilitate a detection, identification,
and/or localization of nearby object(s) within a surrounding area
of the vehicle. The rain sensor 116 detects when it is raining
within the surrounding environment of the vehicle 100. In some
examples, the rain sensor 116 is a light sensor located on a
windshield of the vehicle 100 (e.g., behind a rearview mirror) that
detects the presence of rain based upon the total internal
reflection of infrared light. The water level sensor 118 of the
vehicle 100 detects when a water level of the water 102 surpasses a
predetermined threshold level. For example, the water level sensor
118 is positioned near an undercarriage of the vehicle 100 to
detect when the water level of the water 102 rises above the
undercarriage. Additionally or alternatively, a water level sensor
is located at other portion(s) of the vehicle 100 to detect when
the water level surpasses those other portion(s) of the vehicle
100.
The vehicle 100 of the illustrated example also includes a humidity
sensor 120. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the humidity sensor 120 is
positioned within, coupled to, and/or positioned near the engine
104 to collect humidity measurements within a chamber (e.g., an
intake manifold) of the engine 104. The humidity sensor 120 is
configured to collect humidity measurements of the engine 104 to
monitor for water within a chamber of the engine 104. In some
examples, water enters the engine 104 upon the water 102 reaching
the flood level 103 and/or any other level that reaches and/or
surpasses the engine 104 of the vehicle 100. For example, the water
102 may enter the engine 104 through a main air filter point and/or
an evaporative emission control system (also referred to as an
EVAP) of the engine 104.
In the illustrated example, the vehicle 100 also includes a
communication module 122. For example, the communication module 122
is a dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) module. The
communication module 122 is configured to communicate with other
vehicle(s) (referred to as vehicle-to-vehicle or V2V
communication), infrastructure (referred to as
vehicle-to-infrastructure or V2I communication), and/or any
electrical device (referred to as vehicle-to-everything or V2X
communication) via DSRC communication. For example, the
communication module 122 includes antenna(s), radio(s) and software
to establish wireless connections (e.g., to broadcast and receive
messages) with other vehicle-based modules, infrastructure-based
modules, and mobile device-based modules. That is, DSRC systems may
be installed on vehicles and along roadsides on infrastructure.
DSRC systems incorporating infrastructure information is known as a
"roadside" system. DSRC may be combined with other technologies,
such as Global Position System (GPS), Visual Light Communications
(VLC), Cellular Communications, and short range radar, facilitating
the vehicles communicating their position, speed, heading, relative
position to other objects and to exchange information with other
vehicles or external computer systems. DSRC systems can be
integrated with other systems such as mobile phones. Currently, the
DSRC network is identified under the DSRC abbreviation or name.
However, other names are sometimes used, usually related to a
Connected Vehicle program or the like. Most of these systems are
either pure DSRC or a variation of the IEEE 802.11 wireless
standard. However, besides the pure DSRC system it is also meant to
cover dedicated wireless communication systems between cars and
roadside infrastructure system, which are integrated with GPS and
are based on an IEEE 802.11 protocol for wireless local area
networks (such as, 802.11p, etc.).
The vehicle 100 of the illustrated example also includes a
communication module 124 that includes wired or wireless network
interfaces to enable communication with external networks. The
communication module 124 also includes hardware (e.g., processors,
memory, storage, antenna, etc.) and software to control the wired
or wireless network interfaces. In the illustrated example, the
communication module 124 includes one or more communication
controllers for cellular networks (e.g., Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM), Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
(UMTS), Long Term Evolution (LTE), Code Division Multiple Access
(CDMA)), Near Field Communication (NFC) and/or other
standards-based networks (e.g., WiMAX (IEEE 802.16m), local area
wireless network (including IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac or others),
Wireless Gigabit (IEEE 802.11ad), etc.). In some examples, the
communication module 124 includes a wired or wireless interface
(e.g., an auxiliary port, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, a
Bluetooth.RTM. wireless node, etc.) to communicatively couple with
a mobile device (e.g., a smart phone, a wearable, a smart watch, a
tablet, etc.). In such examples, the vehicle 100 may communicate
with the external network via the coupled mobile device. The
external network(s) (e.g., a network 320 of FIG. 3) may be a public
network, such as the Internet; a private network, such as an
intranet; or combinations thereof, and may utilize a variety of
networking protocols now available or later developed including,
but not limited to, TCP/IP-based networking protocols.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 also includes a control
module 126 that is configured to detect a flooding event of the
vehicle 100. For example, the control module 126 monitors for a
flooding event of the vehicle 100 upon identifying a flood
characteristic near the vehicle 100. As used herein, a "flooding
event" refers to an occurrence during which standing water of a
flood enters and/or otherwise contacts an engine and/or other
electrical component(s) of the vehicle. During a flooding event,
the standing water oftentimes damages an engine and/or other
electrical component(s) of a vehicle. As used herein, a "flood
characteristic" refers to a characteristic of flooding event, such
as standing water, elevated water levels, heavy rain, etc.
In the illustrated example, the control module 126 of the vehicle
100 is located above the flood level 103 to deter the control
module 126 from being damaged by the water 102 during a flooding
event. Additionally or alternatively, the control module 126 is
water-repellent, water-resistant, and/or waterproof to deter the
control module 126 from being damaged by the water 102 during a
flooding event.
In operation, the control module 126 monitors for flood
characteristic(s) near the vehicle 100 while the engine 104 is
active and/or inactive. In some examples, the control module 126
detects a flood characteristic via one or more of the proximity
sensors 112, the rain sensor 116, the water level sensor 118, other
sensor(s) of the vehicle 100 (e.g., a wet sensor) and/or
combinations thereof. For example, one or more of the proximity
sensors 112 and/or the water level sensor 118 detect a flood
characteristic by identifying when the water 102 is at a water
level that is associated with a potential flooding event. Further,
the rain sensor 116 detects a flood characteristic by identifying
heavy rain levels associated with a potential flooding event. In
some examples, the control module 126 detects a flood
characteristic based upon image(s) and/video collected by one or
more of the cameras 114. For example, the control module 126
detects a flood characteristic upon identifying within the
collected image(s) and/video that the water 102 is at a water level
associated with a potential flooding event. Further, in some
examples, the control module 126 detects a flood characteristic
based upon information collected from the communication module 122.
For example, the communication module 122 collects, via V2X
communication, identification of a flood characteristic from a
nearby vehicle and/or infrastructure module that has detected the
flood characteristic. In other examples, the control module 126
detects a flood characteristic based upon information collected
from the communication module 124, the GPS receiver 110, and/or
system(s) of the vehicle 100 (e.g., a wiper system, a traction
control system, etc.). For example, the control module 126 also is
configured to detect a flood characteristic based upon (1) a
current location of the vehicle 100 as determined by the GPS
receiver 110 and (2) localized weather data retrieved from a
weather service via the communication module 124. For example,
weather service(s) (e.g., the National Weather Service) include
remote weather server(s) (e.g., remote servers 318 of FIG. 3) that
store localized weather data (e.g., temperature, barometric
pressure, wind speed and direction, precipitation levels, chances
of precipitation, flood levels, pollen counts, etc.) for different
geographic locations as collected by various national centers,
regional centers, and/or local weather service offices. The control
module 126 is configured to retrieve localized weather data from a
weather service via the communication module 124 based on the
current vehicle location as determined by the GPS receiver 110.
In response to detecting a flood characteristic, the control module
126 collects a humidity measurement within the engine 104 via the
humidity sensor 120. Further, the control module 126 collects a
humidity level of the current location of the vehicle 100. That is,
the control module 126 collects a known humidity level of the
environment in which the vehicle 100 is located. For example, the
control module 126 collects the humidity level, via the
communication module 124, from a remote weather server (e.g., one
of the remote servers 318) of a weather service based on the
current vehicle location as determined by the GPS receiver 110.
Further, the control module 126 identifies whether there is a
flooding event of the vehicle 100 based upon the humidity
measurement collected by the humidity sensor 120 and the known
humidity level of the ambient environment collected from the
weather service. That is, to determine whether there is a flooding
event of the vehicle 100, the control module 126 identifies whether
water (e.g., the water 102) has entered the engine 104 by comparing
the humidity measurement of the engine 104 to the humidity level of
the ambient environment. For example, the water 102 enters the
engine 104 through the main air filter point and/or EVAP when the
water level of the water 102 reaches the flood level 103.
In the illustrated example, the control module 126 detects that the
water 102 has entered the engine 104 when the humidity measurement
of the engine 104 is greater than the humidity level of the ambient
environment by a predetermined threshold. For example, the humidity
within the engine 104 is greater than the humidity of the ambient
environment during a flooding event due to the water 102 entering
in enclosed chambers within the engine 104. In some examples, the
predetermined threshold is zero. In other examples, the
predetermined threshold is greater than zero to account for
error(s) in measurement, evaporation that occurs during normal
operation of the engine 104, etc.
In turn, the control module 126 identifies of a flooding event of
the vehicle 100 in response to determining that the humidity
measurement of the engine 104 is greater than the humidity level of
the ambient environment by the predetermined threshold. Further,
the control module 126 identifies that the vehicle 100 is not in a
flooding event in response to determining that the humidity
measurement of the engine 104 is not greater than the humidity
level of the ambient environment by the predetermined threshold.
That is, the control module 126 identifies that the vehicle 100 is
not in a flooding event when the humidity measurement of the engine
104 is equal and/or substantially similar to the humidity level of
the ambient environment. For example, if the humidity level of the
ambient environment is 30%, the control module 126 identifies that
the vehicle 100 is not in a flooding event if the humidity
measurement of the engine 104 is equal and/or substantially similar
to 30% (e.g., within the predetermined threshold of 30%). In
contrast, the control module 126 identifies that the vehicle 100 is
in a flooding event if the humidity measurement of the engine 104
exceeds 30% by at least the predetermined threshold.
Upon identifying a flooding event of the vehicle 100, the control
module 126 records the flooding event of the vehicle 100 with a
remote server (e.g., one of the remote servers 318) via the
communication module 124. For example, the control module 126
records the flooding event of the vehicle 100 with a remote server
for subsequent consumer reports of the vehicle 100 to enable others
to identify that the vehicle 100 has been involved in a flooding
event. Additionally or alternatively, the flooding event of the
vehicle 100 is recorded within memory (e.g., memory 312 of FIG. 3).
For example, upon identifying a flooding event, the control module
126 disconnects from the battery 106 upon storing the flooding
event in its memory and/or recording the flooding event with a
remote server. The control module 126 is configured to disconnect
from the battery 106 to protect the control module 126 from damage
when the water 102 of the flood event reaches the battery 106 of
the vehicle 100. In some examples, the vehicle 100 includes a
battery management system (e.g., a battery management system 326 of
FIG. 3) that is configured to disconnect the control module 126
from the battery 106 upon the control module 126 identifying the
flooding event. Further, in some examples, the control module 126
is powered by the solar panel 108 and/or another alternative power
source located above the flood level 103 in response to the control
module 126 identifying the flooding event and disconnecting from
the battery 106. In such examples, the control module 126 continues
to operate during the flooding event after the water 102 reaches
the battery 106. Additionally or alternatively, the control module
126 presents a flood alert to a user of the vehicle 100 (e.g., via
an infotainment head unit 302 of FIG. 3, a mobile device of the
user, etc.) upon identifying the flooding event to inform the user
that the vehicle 100 has recently been involved in a flooding
event.
FIG. 2 depicts an example map 200 that includes a representation of
the vehicle 100. The map 200 includes roads 202 with submerged
terrain 204 and unsubmerged terrain 206. Further, in the
illustrated example, a portion 208 of the submerged terrain 204 is
submerged by a water level that corresponds with a flooding event,
and another portion 210 of the submerged terrain 204 is submerged
by a water level that does not correspond with a flooding event
(e.g., the water level of the portion 210 is less than that of a
flooding event).
In some instances, as represented by numeral (1) in FIG. 2, the
vehicle 100 is located on the unsubmerged terrain 206 away from the
submerged terrain 204. In some such instances, the control module
126 does not detect a flood characteristic and, in turn, does not
identify a flooding event of the vehicle 100. In other such
instances, the control module 126 detects a flood characteristic
when the vehicle 100 is located away from the submerged terrain
204. For example, the rain sensor 116 may detect a flood
characteristic as a result of heavy rain in the area. In such
instances, the control module 126 collects a humidity level for the
current location of the vehicle 100, collects a humidity
measurement of the engine 104 from the humidity sensor 120, and
identifies that there is no flooding event for the vehicle 100 upon
comparing the humidity level and the humidity measurement.
In other instances, as represented by numeral (2) in FIG. 2, the
vehicle 100 is located on and/or adjacent to the portion 210 of the
submerged terrain 204 that is not flooded. In such instances, the
control module 126 may detect a flood characteristic via one or
more of the proximity sensors 112, the rain sensor 116, the water
level sensor 118, other sensor(s) of the vehicle 100 (e.g., a wet
sensor), one or more of the cameras 114, the communication module
122, the communication module 124, the GPS receiver 110, system(s)
of the vehicle 100 (e.g., a wiper system, a traction control
system, etc.), and/or combinations thereof. Upon identifying a
flood characteristic, the control module 126 collects a humidity
level for the current location of the vehicle 100, collects a
humidity measurement of the engine 104 from the humidity sensor
120, and identifies that there is no flooding event for the vehicle
100 upon comparing the humidity level and the humidity
measurement.
In yet other instances, as represented by numeral (3) in FIG. 2,
the vehicle 100 is located on the portion 208 of the submerged
terrain 204 that is flooded. In such instances, the control module
126 may detect a flood characteristic via one or more of the
proximity sensors 112, the rain sensor 116, the water level sensor
118, other sensor(s) of the vehicle 100 (e.g., a wet sensor), one
or more of the cameras 114, the communication module 122, the
communication module 124, the GPS receiver 110, system(s) of the
vehicle 100 (e.g., a wiper system, a traction control system,
etc.), and/or combinations thereof. Upon identifying a flood
characteristic, the control module 126 collects a humidity level
for the current location of the vehicle 100, collects a humidity
measurement of the engine 104 from the humidity sensor 120, and
identifies that there is flooding event of the vehicle 100 upon
comparing the humidity level and the humidity measurement. Upon
identifying the flooding event, the control module 126 records the
flooding event with a remote server, stores the flooding event in
memory of the control module, disconnects from the battery 106,
connects to an alternative power source, and/or emits an alert to a
user of the vehicle 100. Further, in some examples, the vehicle 100
is autonomously driven away from the flooding event (e.g., via an
autonomy unit 322 of FIG. 3) when the engine 104 of the vehicle 100
is active during identification of a flooding event. In some
examples, the engine 104 is prevented from being started (e.g., via
an engine control unit 324 of FIG. 3) to avoid damage to engine 104
when the engine 104 is inactive during identification of the
flooding event.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of electronic components 300 of the
vehicle 100. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the electronic components
300 includes the control module 126, the communication module 122,
an infotainment head unit 302, the communication module 124, the
GPS receiver 110, the cameras 114, sensors 304, electronic control
units (ECUs) 306, and a vehicle data bus 308.
The control module 126 includes a processor 310 (also referred to
as microcontroller unit and a controller) and memory 312. In some
examples, the control module 126 is separate from any of the ECUs
306. Alternatively, in some examples, the control module 126
incorporated into one of the ECUs 306 of the vehicle 100. The
processor 310 may be any suitable processing device or set of
processing devices such as, but not limited to, a microprocessor, a
microcontroller-based platform, an integrated circuit, one or more
field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), and/or one or more
application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). The memory 312
may be volatile memory (e.g., RAM including non-volatile RAM,
magnetic RAM, ferroelectric RAM, etc.), non-volatile memory (e.g.,
disk memory, FLASH memory, EPROMs, EEPROMs, memristor-based
non-volatile solid-state memory, etc.), unalterable memory (e.g.,
EPROMs), read-only memory, and/or high-capacity storage devices
(e.g., hard drives, solid state drives, etc.). In some examples,
the memory 312 includes multiple kinds of memory, particularly
volatile memory and non-volatile memory.
The memory 312 is computer readable media on which one or more sets
of instructions, such as the software for operating the methods of
the present disclosure, can be embedded. The instructions may
embody one or more of the methods or logic as described herein. For
example, the instructions reside completely, or at least partially,
within any one or more of the memory 312, the computer readable
medium, and/or within the processor 310 during execution of the
instructions.
The terms "non-transitory computer-readable medium" and
"computer-readable medium" include a single medium or multiple
media, such as a centralized or distributed database, and/or
associated caches and servers that store one or more sets of
instructions. Further, the terms "non-transitory computer-readable
medium" and "computer-readable medium" include any tangible medium
that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of
instructions for execution by a processor or that cause a system to
perform any one or more of the methods or operations disclosed
herein. As used herein, the term "computer readable medium" is
expressly defined to include any type of computer readable storage
device and/or storage disk and to exclude propagating signals.
The infotainment head unit 302 provides an interface between the
vehicle 100 and a user. The infotainment head unit 302 includes
digital and/or analog interfaces (e.g., input devices and output
devices) to receive input from and display information for the
user(s). The input devices include, for example, a control knob, an
instrument panel, a digital camera for image capture and/or visual
command recognition, a touch screen, an audio input device (e.g.,
cabin microphone), buttons, or a touchpad. The output devices may
include instrument cluster outputs (e.g., dials, lighting devices),
actuators, a display 314 (e.g., a heads-up display, a center
console display such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic
light emitting diode (OLED) display, a flat panel display, a solid
state display, etc.), and/or speakers 316. In the illustrated
example, the infotainment head unit 302 includes hardware (e.g., a
processor or controller, memory, storage, etc.) and software (e.g.,
an operating system, etc.) for an infotainment system (e.g.,
SYNC.RTM. and MyFord Touch.RTM. by Ford.RTM.). Additionally, the
infotainment head unit 302 displays the infotainment system on, for
example, the display 314. Additionally or alternatively, the
control module 126 presents a flood alert to the user via the
display 314 upon identifying a flooding event.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the communication module 124 wirelessly
communicates with one or more remote servers 318 via a network 320
(e.g., a public network such as the Internet, a private network
such as an intranet, combination(s) thereof, etc.). For example,
the communication module 124 wirelessly communicates flooding event
notification(s) to one of the remote servers 318 for recordation of
the flooding event(s) of the vehicle 100. In some examples,
flooding event(s) recorded with one or more of the remote servers
318 is retrievable only by a certified operator and is erasable
only by an authorized operator (e.g., a person with a high
authorization level). Additionally or alternatively, the remote
servers 318 include a remote weather server of a weather service.
For example, the remote weather server may store known humidity
levels and/or known flooding events for various geographic
locations. In some examples, the communication module 124
wirelessly communicates with the remote weather server to enable
the control module 126 to collect the humidity level of the current
location of the vehicle 100. Further, in some examples, the control
module 126 detects the flood characteristic for the vehicle 100
based upon information collected from the remote weather server via
the communication module 124.
The sensors 304 are arranged in and/or around the vehicle 100 to
monitor properties of the vehicle 100 and/or an environment in
which the vehicle 100 is located. One or more of the sensors 304
may be mounted to measure properties around an exterior of the
vehicle 100. Additionally or alternatively, one or more of the
sensors 304 may be mounted inside a cabin of the vehicle 100 or in
a body of the vehicle 100 (e.g., an engine compartment, wheel
wells, etc.) to measure properties in an interior of the vehicle
100. For example, the sensors 304 include accelerometers,
odometers, tachometers, pitch and yaw sensors, wheel speed sensors,
microphones, tire pressure sensors, biometric sensors and/or
sensors of any other suitable type. In the illustrated example, the
sensors 304 include the proximity sensors 112, the rain sensor 116,
the water level sensor 118, and the humidity sensor 120.
The ECUs 306 monitor and control the subsystems of the vehicle 100.
For example, the ECUs 306 are discrete sets of electronics that
include their own circuit(s) (e.g., integrated circuits,
microprocessors, memory, storage, etc.) and firmware, sensors,
actuators, and/or mounting hardware. The ECUs 306 communicate and
exchange information via a vehicle data bus (e.g., the vehicle data
bus 308). Additionally, the ECUs 306 may communicate properties
(e.g., status of the ECUs 306, sensor readings, control state,
error and diagnostic codes, etc.) to and/or receive requests from
each other. For example, the vehicle 100 may have dozens of the
ECUs 306 that are positioned in various locations around the
vehicle 100 and are communicatively coupled by the vehicle data bus
308.
In the illustrated example, the ECUs 306 include an autonomy unit
322, an engine control unit 324, and a battery management system
326. The autonomy unit 322 controls performance of autonomous
and/or semi-autonomous driving maneuvers of the vehicle 100 based
upon, at least in part, image(s) and/or video captured by vehicle
cameras (e.g., the cameras 114), data collected by proximity
sensors (e.g., the proximity sensors 112), and/or other collected
data. For example, when the engine 104 is active and the control
module 126 identifies a flooding event, the autonomy unit 322 is
configured to autonomously perform motive functions of the vehicle
100 to maneuver the vehicle away from the flooding event. Further,
the engine control unit 324 control(s) operation of the engine 104
of the vehicle 100. For example, when the engine 104 is inactive
and the control module 126 identifies a flooding event, the engine
control unit 324 prevents the engine 104 from being started to
deter the engine 104 from being damaged by the flooding event. The
battery management system 326 of the illustrated example control(s)
operation of the battery 106 and/or alternative power source(s)
(e.g., the solar panel 108 of FIG. 1) of the vehicle 100. For
example, the battery management system 326 disconnects the control
module 126 from the battery 106 in response to the control module
126 identifying a flooding event to protect the control module 126
from the flooding event. Further, in some examples, the battery
management system 326 causes an alternative power source (e.g., the
solar panel 108 of FIG. 1) to power the control module 126 upon
disconnecting the control module 126 from the battery 106 to enable
the control module 126 to continue to operate during the flooding
event.
The vehicle data bus 308 communicatively couples the GPS receiver
110, the cameras 114, the communication module 122, the
communication module 124, the control module 126, the infotainment
head unit 302, the sensors 304, and the ECUs 306. In some examples,
the vehicle data bus 308 includes one or more data buses. The
vehicle data bus 308 may be implemented in accordance with a
controller area network (CAN) bus protocol as defined by
International Standards Organization (ISO) 11898-1, a Media
Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) bus protocol, a CAN flexible data
(CAN-FD) bus protocol (ISO 11898-7) and/a K-line bus protocol (ISO
9141 and ISO 14230-1), and/or an Ethernet.TM. bus protocol IEEE
802.3 (2002 onwards), etc.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an example method 400 to detect flooding
of a vehicle. The flowchart of FIG. 4 is representative of machine
readable instructions that are stored in memory (such as the memory
312 of FIG. 3) and include one or more programs which, when
executed by a processor (such as the processor 310 of FIG. 3),
cause the vehicle 100 to implement the example control module 126
of FIGS. 1 and 3. While the example program is described with
reference to the flowchart illustrated in FIG. 4, many other
methods of implementing the example control module 126 may
alternatively be used. For example, the order of execution of the
blocks may be rearranged, changed, eliminated, and/or combined to
perform the method 400. Further, because the method 400 is
disclosed in connection with the components of FIGS. 1-3, some
functions of those components will not be described in detail
below.
Initially, at block 402, the GPS receiver 110 determines the
current location of the vehicle 100. At block 404, the control
module 126 determines whether a flood characteristic is detected at
and/or near the vehicle 100. For example, the control module 126
detects a flood characteristic based upon (i) data collected by one
or more of the proximity sensors 112, (ii) image(s) and/or video
collected by one or more of the cameras 114, (iii) data collected
by the rain sensor 116, (iv) data collected by the water level
sensor 118, (iv) based upon V2X communication received by the
communication module 122, and/or (v) the current location of the
vehicle 100 and corresponding localized weather data. In response
to the control module 126 not detecting a flood characteristic, the
method 400 returns to block 402. Otherwise, in response to the
control module 126 detecting a flood characteristic, the method 400
proceeds to block 406.
At block 406, the control module 126 collects a humidity level of
the current location of the vehicle 100 from a weather service. For
example, the control module 126 collects the humidity level of the
current location of the vehicle 100 via wireless communication
between the communication module 124 and a remote weather server
(e.g., one of the remote servers 318 of FIG. 3) of a weather
service. At block 408, the control module 126 collects a humidity
measurement from within the engine 104. For example, the control
module 126 collects the humidity measurement from the humidity
sensor 120 of the engine 104. At block 410, the control module 126
compares the humidity measurement to the humidity level.
At block 412, the control module 126 determines whether there is a
flooding event. For example, the control module 126 identifies a
flooding event in response to determining that the humidity
measurement exceeds the humidity level by a predetermined threshold
(e.g., by 10% humidity, 20% humidity, 30% humidity, etc.). In
response to the control module 126 not identifying a flooding
event, the method 400 returns to block 402. Otherwise, in response
to the control module 126 identifying a flooding event, the method
400 proceeds to block 414.
At block 414, the control module 126 store a notification of the
flooding event in the memory 312 of the control module 126. At
block 416, the control module 126 presents a flood alert to a user,
for example, via the infotainment head unit 302 of the vehicle 100
and/or a mobile device of the user. At block 416, the control
module 126 notifies a remote server (e.g., one of the remote
servers 318 of FIG. 3) of the flooding event of the vehicle 100.
That is, the control module 126 records the flooding event with a
remote server via the communication module 124 of the vehicle 100.
At block 420, the control module 126 causes one or more other
vehicle(s) functions to be performed. For example, the control
module 126 causes the battery management system 326 to disconnect
the control module 126 from the battery 106 and/or to connect the
control module 126 to an alternative power source (e.g., the solar
panel 108). In some examples, the control module 126 causes the
engine control unit 324 to prevent the engine 104 from starting
when the vehicle 100 is parked within the flooding event. Further,
in some examples, the control module 126 instructs the autonomy
unit 322 to maneuver the vehicle 100 away from the flooding
event.
In this application, the use of the disjunctive is intended to
include the conjunctive. The use of definite or indefinite articles
is not intended to indicate cardinality. In particular, a reference
to "the" object or "a" and "an" object is intended to denote also
one of a possible plurality of such objects. Further, the
conjunction "or" may be used to convey features that are
simultaneously present instead of mutually exclusive alternatives.
In other words, the conjunction "or" should be understood to
include "and/or". The terms "includes," "including," and "include"
are inclusive and have the same scope as "comprises," "comprising,"
and "comprise" respectively. Additionally, as used herein, the
terms "module" and "unit" refer to hardware with circuitry to
provide communication, control and/or monitoring capabilities. A
"module" and a "unit" may also include firmware that executes on
the circuitry.
The above-described embodiments, and particularly any "preferred"
embodiments, are possible examples of implementations and merely
set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the
invention. Many variations and modifications may be made to the
above-described embodiment(s) without substantially departing from
the spirit and principles of the techniques described herein. All
modifications are intended to be included herein within the scope
of this disclosure and protected by the following claims.
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